Articles ecclesiasticall to be inquired of by the churchwardens and the sworne-men within the dioces of Hereforde in the visitation of the reuerend father in God, Harbart Bishop of the saide dioces, this present yeare M.D.LXXXXII. and in the XXXIIII. yeare of the raigne of our most gratious soueraigne lady Queene Elizabeth, &c. and so hereafter till the next visitation, & from time to time to bee presented. Church of England. Diocese of Hereford. Bishop (1586-1602 : Westfaling) This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A00185 of text S4281 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 10215.5). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 24 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 8 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A00185 STC 10215.5 ESTC S4281 24048339 ocm 24048339 27118 2248546505

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A00185) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 27118) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1815:16) Articles ecclesiasticall to be inquired of by the churchwardens and the sworne-men within the dioces of Hereforde in the visitation of the reuerend father in God, Harbart Bishop of the saide dioces, this present yeare M.D.LXXXXII. and in the XXXIIII. yeare of the raigne of our most gratious soueraigne lady Queene Elizabeth, &c. and so hereafter till the next visitation, & from time to time to bee presented. Church of England. Diocese of Hereford. Bishop (1586-1602 : Westfaling) Westfaling, Herbert, 1532?-1602. [14] p. By Ioseph Barnes, printer to the Vniuersitie, Imprinted at Oxford : [1592] Date of imprint suggested by STC (2nd ed.). Signatures: A-B⁴ (last leaf blank). Imperfect: stained and print show-through with slight loss of print. Reproduction of original in the Lincoln College Library (University of Oxford). eng Church of England -- Government. Visitations, Ecclesiastical -- England. eebo Articles ecclesiasticall to be inquired of by the churchwardens and the sworne-men within the dioces of Hereforde in the visitation of the reuerend fa Church of England. Diocese of Hereford. Bishop 1592 14 4346 16 0 0 0 0 0 36.82 D The rate of 36.82 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the D category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2010-01 Assigned for keying and markup 2010-01 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2010-03 Sampled and proofread 2010-03 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2010-04 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

ARTICLES ECCLESIASTICALL TO BE INQVIRED OF BY THE CHVRCHWARDENS AND THE SWORNE-MEN WITHIN THE Dioces of Hereforde in the visitation of the reuerend father in God , Harbart Bishop of the saide Dioces : this present yeare M. D.LXXXXII . and in the XXXIIII . yeare of the raigne of our most gratious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth , &c.

And so hereafter till the next visitation , & from time to time to bee presented .

Imprinted at Oxford , by Ioseph Barnes Printer to the Vniuersitie .

ARTICLES TO BE INQVIRED OF , IN the Dioces of Hereforde .

FIrst ye shal enquire & truely present vpon your oathes taken whether you doe know of any , which hath thrust himselfe into any funccion Ecclesiastical without ordinary calling , as , to say publike seruice in church , or chappel , not being lawfully ordered Deacon at the least ?

2 Whether your Parson or Vicar be knowen , suspected or reported to haue bought his benefice , or come to it by any simonicall compace made either by himselfe , or others , directly , or indirectly : or do let out his liuing , or any part thereof to any , in consideration that he hath obtained the same :

3 Whether your Parson , or Vicar , Curate , or minister , or any other Priest or laiman or woman do wilfully maintaine or defend anie heresies , false opinions , or popish errors , contrary to the lawes of almighty God , and true doctrine , by publike authority now set foorth in this realme , and what be their names ?

4 Whether your Parson , Vicar , or Curat , doe not say common praier in your Church , or Chappel , distinctly , and reuerently , and in such order as is set forth by the Lawes of this Realme without any kinde of alteration , and at du●●●●d conuenient howers ? And whether your Minister doe not so turne himselfe & stande in such place of your Church , or Chancell , as the people may best heare the sue ? And whether the holy sacraments be not likewise ministred , reuerently in such maner , as by the Lawes of this Realme is appointed , and whether vpon wednesdaies and Frydaies not being holy daies the Letany and other praiers appointed for the daie bee not said accordingly ?

5 Whether your Minister or any other not being licenced take vpon him to expounde scripture , & thereby omit vpon any sunday the reading of a part of an Homily , at the least , or vppon any other occasion doe omit the same ?

6 Whether your Minister doe not read the commination against sinners , with certaine praiers appointed , at the least thrise a yeere besides the lent time : and whether he doth not reade the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions quarterly in the church ?

7 Whether he haue preached or caused to bee preached his monthly or quarterly sermons at the least , and who they bee that preached them , and whether he haue suffered any not licenced to preach , or forbidden any that was licenced , and whether hee , or any other , haue preached , declared , or spoken any thing in derogation of the book of common praier , which is set forth by the lawes of this realm , dispraysing the same , or any thing therin conteined .

8 Whether any open notorious fornicatour , adulterer , or euil liuer , by whom the congregation is offended , haue without due penance first done , been by your Minister admitted to the holy communion , or any malitious person , that is notoriously knowen to be out of charitie , or that hath done any open wrong to his neighbour by word , or deede , without due reconciliation first made to the party , that is wronged : or any that at the time stood excommunicate , or a stranger of another parish ?

9 Whether , your Parson , Vicar , or Curat , haue admitted to the holy communion any of his parish being aboue twenty yeares of age , either mankinde or womankinde , that cannot say by heart the ten commaundements , the articles of the faith , and the Lords praier in english , and what be the names of those , that cannot saie the same , or being aboue foureteene yeares and vnder twenty that coulde not say the catechisme allowed and set foorth in the booke of common praier . And whether your minister at times conuenient before he administer vnto them , and namely before Easter yearely doe vse to examine his parishioners , whether they can say by hare the same , which is required in this behalfe . And whether hee marry any persons that were single before , that cannot say the aforesaide catechisme ?

10 Whether your Minister on euery sunday and holidaie in the after noone before euening praier do cal for , heare , & instruct , al the youth within your parish of conuenient , age of both sexes in the catechisme , or at the least so many of them by course , as time will serue , and as he may wel heare and instruct for halfe an hower at the least , before euening praier in the tenne commandementes the Articles of the beliefe , and the Lordes praier , and diligently examine and teach them the catechisme , as it is now allowed and set forth ? And whether for that purpose he doth take the names of them all , and by ●ourse cal certaine of them by name euery sundaie and holiday to come to the teaching of the same , and present to the ordinary such quarterly as refuse to come to be catechised , and whether he doe diligently visite the sicke and comfort them with exhortation to contribute by wil for the reliefe of the poore , as their abilitie shal serue ?

11 Whether he be diligent in study of the holy scriptures for further increase in knowledge and for that purpose ( if he be vnder the degree of a Master of art ) hath of his owne at the least , the new testament in latine , and English , and whether he doeth dailie conferre certaine chapters thereof togither , and obserue such orders , as for his increase in knowledge , are set downe by his ordinary , vsing at vacant times such good & seemely exercises as may keepe him from sluggishnes and idlenes ?

12 Whether any Minister haue maried any in times forbidden by the Ecclesiastical Laws , or without banes thrise asked , otherwise than by licence of the ordinary , or hath vsed the forme of thankesgiuing , for woman after childebirth , being vnlawfully begotten with childe otherwise then in a form of a penitent person viz. in a white sheete or other habit prescribed by the ordinary , or vpon any other day than a Sunday , or holyday : or before sufficient caution taken , that she should not depart the Parish , til she should performe such penance , as should be enioined by the ordinary .

13 Whether your Minister vse any other Rite , or Ceremony in the Church , than is prescribed by the booke of common praier , & whether he or any other , keepe , or vse any secret Conuenticles , Preachings , lectures , or Reading contrary to the Law , and what be their names ?

14 Whether your Parson , or Vicar , doth not in his own person at the least , sometimes in the year , both say publike praiers himselfe , and also administer the holy communion , according to the booke of common Praier ?

15 Whether for the retayning of the perambulation of the circuit of your parish the Parson , Vicar or Curat , churchwardens & certaine of the substantial men of the parish in the daies of Rogation , commonly called the gange daies , walke the accustomes boundes of your Parish , and whether in the same perambulation and going about , the Minister doe vse anie other rite , or ceremonie , then to say or sing in English the one hundred and three and one hundred and foure Psalmes , and such sentences of the scriptures , as are appointed by the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions with the Letany , and suffrages following the same , and reading of one homilie alreadie diuised and set forth for that purpose , with out wearing any surplesses carying of banners , or handbels , or staying at Crosses , or any such like popish ceremonies ?

16 Whether any doe serue as a Minister , or Deacon not licenced vnder the Ordinaries seale , or serue two cures , and whether any Minister comming out of another Dioces , hath not the Ordinaries letters testimonial concerning aswel the cause of his departure as his behavior , and what stipend your Curate hath by year ?

17 Whether is your Minister a peace maker and exhorter of his parishioners to obedience toward their Prince , and all other that be in authoritie , and to charitie , and mutuall loue among themselues , and such a one as is no sower of discord amongst neighbours ?

18 Whether your Parson or Vicar , suffer his buildinges or Chaunsell to fall to ruine or decay , and whether hee or any other haue taken awaie , or discouered any Church . Chappel , or Chauncel , or any part of them : any church-porch , vestrie , spittle , almes-house , or such like , or hath pulled downe the belles , or hath made anie spoile or wast vpon his benefice , either in his timber , or woodes , or by felling trees in the church-yearde ?

19 Whether the Minister and church-wardens ( according to her Maiesties Iniunctions ) doe keepe well the Register booke , and therein register al weddings , buryings , and Christnings , and once every yeare exhibite a copy thereof by Indenture to the office of the Ordinaries Register and if it haue not beene done , which of them it was long of ?

20. Whether your minister hath executed and published all such processes and other thinges as hath from time to time since the last visitation beene sent vnto him from the ordinarie . And whether he hath made any certificates of penaunce orderlie and penetently done , which hath indeede beene scoffingly , or impenitently performed or done at other times , or in other sorte then was prescribed by the Ordinarie , or else not done at all ?

21 Whether your Parson , or Vicar hath at any time since the thirteenth year of the Queenes Maiesties raine , made any manner of lease , or graunt , of his Parsonage , or Vicarage , or any part thereof ( he being absent , and 〈◊〉 resident vpon the same ) to any other , then to his curate , that did or doeth serue his cure , in his absence ?

22 Whether hath your Parson or Vicar mo benefices then one , how many , and in what countries be they , and what bee the names of them , and whether is he absent from among you aboue eighty daies in any one yeare in al , not being lawfully qualified & dispensed withal , & being so licenced , whether is the Cure serued by an honest learned Curate , whether doth he not at the least for one month in the year , keepe hospitality at his liuing , & also giue , if his benefice be aboue twenty pounds a yeare , the fortith part thereof to the Poore ?

23 Whether any Minister doe forsake his function and giue himselfe to any other trade of life , then is fite , or may be incident with that calling ?

24 Whether doth your Minister keepe any suspected woman in his house ( or being not maried ) any woman not of neere kindred vnto him , or doth he liue in any tauerne , or alehouse , or commonly resort thither , or is he a hawker , or hunter , or a gamester , at any game or other then at shooting , or otherwise suspected of any notorious crime , or any euill example of life ?

25 Whether doth your Minister keepe , or suffer to be kept any Alehouse Tauerne , or Victualing house in his Personage or vicarage house ?

26 Whether doth your Minister vse any excessiue , or vnseemely kinde of apparell not commendable in that calling ?

27 Whether the Patrone haue freely bestowed the benefice without any Simony , directly , or indirectly , betweene him and the incumbent , or any other ?

28 Whether your Scholmaster teaching within your parish openly , or within any noble or gentlemans house , or in any other place there be licensed there 〈◊〉 by the ordinary ? Whether , doth he teach such bookes , as be commaunded to be taught , and that diligently ? And whether is he reputed of sincere Religion , and honest conuersation , and frequenteth diuine seruice or no ?

29 Whether haue you in your Parish Church , or Chappell the booke of common Praier , with the newe Kallender , two Psalters , the great English Bible , the two Volumes of Homilies , the Paraphrase of Erasmus in English , the Table of the Ten commaundements , whole , and vntorne , the Table of degrees of Consanguinity , and Affinity , a conuenient Pulpit , a decent Communion Table on a frame , a Linnen Cloth to couer the same , with some other couering of silke or such like , a Communion Cuppe , & a couer of Siluer , a decent Surples with sleeues , a sure Coffer with two lockes for the Register booke , a strong Chest for the Almes Boxe , with three lockes thereunto , & all other things necessary to the Premisses ?

30 Whether doth your Parson , Vicar , Curate , or Minister weare any Cope in your Parish Church or Chappell , or minister the holy Communion in any Chalice heretofore vsed at Masse , or in any prophane Cup or Glasse , or in any other kinde of liquor , then wine ?

31 Whether are all Altars taken downe , to the very foundation , and the place whited , and paued vnderneath , and the Roode-lofte downe to the Cros beame , all superstitious bookes vsed either in the Church , or otherwise defaced , togither withall monuments of Superstition and Idolatry , as Vestiments , &c. And if not , in whose custody are they , or any of them ?

32 Whether any Church-wardens since the last visitation haue suffered any vnmaried woman begotten with childe to depart their Parish before such pennance done as was enioyned .

33 Whether is your Church , or chappell , and chauncell sufficiently repaired , and churchyard decently and sufficiently fenced and kept cleane : if not , in whose default ?

34 Whether haue your churchwardens from time to time truly leuied xii . pence for euery day , of those who absent themselues from church , and whether hath the same beene bestowed vpon the poore as it ought , or no : And whether the churchwardens themselues haue absented themselues , or beene negligent in their duty , or in frequenting diuine seruice , and whether doth you Minister ●●monish the churchwardens , openly in the church after the second lesson at morning & euening praier to looke to their charge in this behalfe ?

35 Whether haue any of your churchwardens or swornemen , since the last visitation , or at that time , concealed any disorder or crime done in your parish , or not presented the same to be reformd ?

36 Whether any of your churchwardens without iust cause haue or doe delay , to giue account euery yeare of the church goods and rentes , and whether they or any of them detaine any of the churchgoods or common stocke in their owne handes ? And whether is the stocke of the poore mans bo●e faithfully , & indifferently distributed to the poore without any partiall affection ?

37 Whether any churchwardens , haue continued in that office , at any time , aboue one yeare without a new election ?

38 Whether the clarke be appointed , according to the custome of your Parish , whether is bee obedient to the minister in such thinges , as belong to his office and vseth diligence in keeping all such things , as belong to his charge , decent and cleane ; whether is he able to read distinctly , and to answere as appertaineth to him in the church , and whether is he suffered to read any thing in the church , saue the first lesson and the epistle ?

39 Whether when any man or woman is passing out of this life , the bell be touled to moue the people to pray for the sicke person , and whether there be any ringing for any that died out of the Parish , and whether for any dying within the parish there be any more ringing than one short peale before , & another after the burial : and whether on Alsouls euen or day , or any Saints euen , or on any abrogate holidaies , ther● 〈◊〉 any other ringing then is vsuall on common working daies , or other th●n ringing to common , praier , or sermons , and that but moderate : & whether there be any ringing at all in time of common praier , reading of homilies , or of preaching ?

40 Whether the minister and churchwardens haue suffered any lordes of misrule , dancers , plaiers , or any other disguised persons to daunce , or play any vnseemely partes in the church or churchyarde , chappell or chappel-yarde , if they 〈◊〉 what be the names of such lordes of misrule , dauncers plaiers &c. And whether are there any plaies or any drinkings kept in any of the said places , who maintaine and accompany such ?

41 Whether any excommunicat person 〈◊〉 intrude himselfe to diuine seruice or the Sacrament , & who are encoragers and keepers of company with such as remaine excommunicate ?

42 Whether any holy daies , or Fishdaies abrogated by authoritie , are either by your minister bidden , or by any other obserued superstitiously , or any festiuall daies vsed a new by any without lawfull authority ?

43 Whether all superiours , as parents , masters , &c. doe asmuch as in them lieth to bring to the church to bee chatechised on holie daies & Sundaies in the afternoone before euening praier , their children , seruants , and apprentices both mankinde and womankinde being aboue seuen yeares of age , and vnder twenty , which haue not learned the catechisme , or at the least , such and so many al them , as your Minister shall appoint to come thether for that purpose , and to cause them there diligently and obediently to heare and to bee ordered by the minister vntill such time as they haue learned the same catechisme : and what their names be that neglect so to doe : and who betwixt the saide ages cannot saie the catechisme ?

44 Whether there be any that refuse to come to diuine seruice in their parish church or chappell , or doe not faithfully and diligently endeuour themselues , to resort thereunto with their children and seruants : And whether being of conuenient age any doe not communicate orderly thrice 〈◊〉 at the least , and namely once about Custody or receiuing ●●ue not signified the same to the minister in time conuenient , that he might examine them how they were instructed for partaking of so high misteries ; and whether there be any strangers , that soiourne in your parishe , especially about Easter , and doe absent themselues from church , or any that be hinderers , or deriders of true religion , or of those which professe it ?

45 Whether any doe praie in a tongue which they vnderstand not , or vpon beades , or doe any way number their praiers superstitiously ?

46 Whether any be in your parish which at time of diuine praiers , doe vse any iangling talking , walking , or other vnseemely behauiour in church , or churchyarde , or doe any waie disturbe common praier , or any part of the diuine seruice , or doe vse any game , or pastime abroad at those times , or sit in the tauerne , or Alehouse , or streetes at such times , or which doe worke on Sundaies any handicrafte worke , or which keep open any shoppes , for sale of wares til euening praier be finished , or which departe before praiers be finished , or commeth saie without cause sufficient , or which be brawlers , or fighters in the church or churchyarde ?

47 Whether any in your parish be knowen , or suspected to vse any witchcrafte , or sorcerie , charme , inchantment , or vnlawful invocation , and namely , midwiues at the laboure of women , or any that resorteth vnto such for helpe and counsaile or finally blasphemers of the name of God , or swearers amonge you ?

48 Whether any bee knowen or suspected to bee adulterers , fornicators , incestuous persons , bandes , or recettors of incontinent persons into their houses , or which conuey or suffer them to goe away before they doe make satisfaction to the congregation offended , any drunkards , ribalds , malitious , contentious , and vncharitable person , common slaunderers , railers , scoulders , or sowers of discord amongst you ?

49 Whether any childe being borne since the eighteenth yeare of the Queenes Maiesties 〈…〉 hath not bene brought to be baptized to your parish church , but hath bene baptised at home , or had their baptisme deferred without iust cause , or remain yet vnbaptised and whose children the same are , and whether any haue beene admitted to be godfather or godmother , which had not before that time , receiued the communion and by where they were admitted ?

50 Whether there bee any man that hath or hath had at one time two wiues , or a woman two husbands , any maried within degrees of consanguinity , or affinitie , by the lawes of God forbidden , so set out for an admonition , in a table appointed to be affired in euery parish church within this dioces ? any diuorced keeping company still togither , any married without the degrees forbidden , which without law haue forsaken their wiues or husbandes , or liue not togither , any maried that haue made precontractes to other , any that haue made priuy contractes or maried without consent of their parentes or gouernors , any married without banes thrice solemnly asked , or out of the parish church where the solemnization ought to haue beene , without the Ordinaries licens vnder his seale ?

51 Whether there bee any that directly , or indirectly , do take vsury , or interest contrary to the lawes of God , and the Realme , who they be , and what is the maner of their vsury ?

52 Whether any set downe in the last will and testament , of any , as executors , doe presume , to execute , or deale with the deads goods before the will be proued , or any presume to administer , before administration committed vnto them , any hinderers of the performance of such wil , any forgers , or changers of wills , or any executors which haue not fulfilled their testators wil , in not paying legacies , geuen to good and godly vses ?

53 Whether doe you knowe , or haue you heard of any man or woman that hath practised , or doth practise Phisicke or surgery within this dioces of Hereford , not being licensed so to do by the ordinary of the same , vnder his hand and seale , accordingly to the statute in that case prouided , 〈…〉 it is his , or her name which doeth or hath so done ?

54 Whether your churchwardens haue sould any your church-goods , if they haue , what be they , and to whome , and whether to the better benefit of your church or no , and howe hath the money thereof comming beene imployed ?

55 And generally whether you know any of the Queenes iniunctions , broken , or any other Ecclesiasticall matter worthy of redresse or no , and if you do , by the oathes that you haue taken you shall truely present it , aswell now as hereafter , from time to time when it shall come to your knowledge ?

〈…〉

FINIS .

Item that you present as neere as you can , the moneth , and yeare , when the faultes in the saide Articles mentioned were committed ?